Sectional cabinet.



H. WALKER @L o. E. WILs`oN.

SBGTIONAL GABINET. APPLIUATIUN FILED MAY 17, 1909.

Patented July 5,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

, fas/gli L. II. WALKER & 6. L. WILSON.

SEOTIONAL CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17,1909.

Patent-,ed July 5, 1-910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNTTED sTATEs PATENT oEErcE.

LAWRENCE H. WALKER AND CHARLES E. WILSON, OE MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN.

SECTIONAL CABINET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led May 17, 1909.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, LAWRENCE H. WALKER and CHARLES E. WILSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Muskegon, in the county of Muskegon and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sectional Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sectional cabinets or analogous devices embodying drawers or like movable containing devices, and the objects of the same are to provide simple and effective means for locking together a stack of sections for filing purposes when said sections are placed one upon another, and for simultaneously locking the drawers or movable containing devices in any one section and whereby a stack of sections of filing cabinets may be readily and reliably secured in associated relation and the drawers or other movable devices of each section held against movement independently of the drawers or movable devices of any other section in the group or stack of sections.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts which will be more fully hereinafter specified in preferred form.

In the drawings: Figure l is a sectional perspective View of a portion of a filing cabinet embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a similar View of one of the cabinet sections. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of portions of the cabinet sections showing the manner of connecting the same. Fig. 4 is a detail elevation on an enlarged scale of the locking mechanism for the drawers or movable devices of each section, the drawers being shown broken away and the locking devices also partially broken through. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section through the organization shown by Fig. 4, parts being broken through at different points. Fig. 6 is a det-ail elevation of a portion of the locking devices shown in a different position from that illustrated in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section through the locking devices for the drawers to particularly show the means for holding a slide plate in applied position. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view showing the disk for operating the locking slide plate and the inclosure therefor.

The numeral 5 designates the back, and 6 the side of the frame of the cabinet as shown, and it will be understood that the two sides 6 of each cabinet section will be similar; and disposed between the sides and back is a plurality of drawers 7 for ling purposes or these drawers may be replaced by other analogous devices which are slidably mounted in the frame and superimposed as shown. The drawers 7 may be held in any suitable manner within the frame so that they will readily slide outwardly and inwardly and may also be divided and subdivided as desired. lt will also be understood that the complete cabinet will be disposed upon a suitable base, not shown, or the lower part of the sections as shown by Fig. 1 may directly rest on a base support. The cabinet as shown will be built up from a series of sections separably connected without the use of permanentl fastenings, such as screws, bolts or analogous devices, the object being to obtain a quick and reliable assemblage and a ready separation of the several sections.

As shown, the means for connecting or securing the sections in associated relation consists of cleats 8 extending transversely across each section at the bottom and top. These cleats 8 are suitably secured to the sides 6 and also to other parts of the frame structure, or, in other words, are rigidly held in place and the cleats at the upper and lower sides of each section occupy different positions so that they will be disposed between cleats of adjacent coperating sections, as illustrated by Fig. 3. When the sections of the cabinet are assembled and the cleats '8 arranged as shown by Fig. 3, the several sections are connected by tie rods 9 and 9a inserted from the front of the section through openings l0 in the cleats, and these rods may perform the single function of connecting the sections or be utilized as a means for operating the locking devices of the drawers or movable elements of each section, as respectively shown by Figs. 2 and 3; and as illustrated by Fig. l the group of drawers 7 all coperate with locking mechanism operated by a rod 9. The rods have heads 11 exposed at their front eX- tremities through the front of each section and the rod 9a, as illustrated by Fig. 2, has its rear end tted and held in a ledge l2 secured to the back 5.

The rods 9, as shown by Figs. l and 3, have cylindrical or tubular casings 13 adjacent to their heads and provided with a y longitudinal Vrib 14, one on each, to -prevent the casing fromrotating, the forward eX,-

' Y tremity ofthe rod 9 in the casing being rotatable, as will be more fully hereinafter ex- ,Y plained.

f From the foregoing itwill be `understood Y thatthe tie Vrods connecting the several sec- I tions may serve solely as al means for unit-- ing kthe sections or be utilized both asa ,means for unitingy the sections and operate in'g'the locking devices for the drawers. Y The. locking means for the drawers 011.'

movable elements .of each section consists of i cured at their upper ends by cap, sockets-1 8.V

a' vertically movable slide plate 1 5.l held against the back 5 by retaining rods 16,A

fitted at their lower ends in a sill 17 and Se- Eachplate 15. is struck out fromthe center inboxilike form asf at 19. andhas side anges 20 overfwhich'therrods 16, extend. The in.

Y Ytermediate box-likestruck-out portion 19 of each plate has aplurality of central key-hole '7" slots 21 which are in Vvertical alinement and disposed opposite to headed studs or screws 22 Vprojecting from the rear of the drawers y7 ,there beingv one, headed stud or screw. 2,2

f to each drawer.V

` It will be seen that the manner of securing the locking' plate 15 in place'is veryfsimple j and the rods 16. maybe quickly applied with a 'minimized number of'fastenings, thecap sockets 18 being practically the sole fasten@ ing means in view kof the fact Vthat the lower ends of the said rods are dropped into suit-V able openings in the sill 17.- Sutticientspace is provided between they rods 16 and the adjacent surface of the back 5 to permit the flanges 2Q of the plate to easily move in rear of thev rods, Vbut the' plate 15 is vprevented from having too loose movement so that it will always be in condition for positivepopfk Y eration.

Connected to. the lower extremity of the plate 15 is a link V23), the said link being also attached to a wrist pin 24 eccentrically 'prof jecting from a disk 25 held within a casing A, 26v secured on the sill'l'?, the said casing 26 having a segmental slot 27 therein to limit the throw or'movement of the disk by the wrist, pin 24 striking against the terminal walls of said segmental slot. The rear end of the rod 9, as shown by Figs. 1,5 and 8, extendsthrough the casing 26V and is secured to the center of the disk 25 the forward extremity of said rod being rotatable in the casing 13 and actuated through the medium of a suitable key in-` serted in the head 11 of the rod. By turning the rod inone direction the plate 15 will be elevated so that the screws or studs 22 'will be Vlocated in` the lower enlarged por;

y Yheads thereof to be drawn clear ofthe plate,

and by this means all of the drawers are retions' of the keyhole slotsto permit the leasedV and may be drawn outwardly or pushed inwardly at will. When the rod 9 1s turned in the opposite direction the plate 15 will be drawn downwardly and the studs orscrews 22 will be located in the upper reduced portions of the key-hole slots which are of less width than the diameter of the heads ofthe studs or screws, and consequentlyA the drawers will be locked closed. Each stack of drawers will be provided with a locking means similar to that just de:

' scribed, andl one of the advantages fin this particular arrangement is that the sections maybe assembled without requiring a con nection ofthe locking means after the sec- .ti'ons are secured to each other and without inthe least affecting the lookin A means for the drawers of each. section. y still fur-` therA advantage inthe locking mechanism associated with eachv group or stack of drawers is that one set of drawers in a sectional cabinet may remain locked while an-r other stack may be rendered freely accessible.

It will be understood that a number of asf sociated sections` mayA be provided with` a Acap o r top, not'showmbut said top can be connectedto` the uppermost section in a manner similar to, the securement. of two sec, tions through the medium of the rods, as hereinbefore explained.

The improved structure lwill be found eX- ceptionally .convenient and economical, and it is obvious that the several partsmay be modified as to. ytheir proportions and dimensions to adapt them for variousapplications.

What isclaimed is:

1. In adevice of the class specified, the

combinationof superposed cabinet sections having intertting cooperating membersin the same plane, saidA members having openings therethrough, and a devlce removably inserted in the openings, and separably'coni openings therein, the members of one section fitting between the members of the other section, and means removably inserted in the said `members of both sections to separably connect the latter.

4. In a device of the class specified,l superposed cabinet sections having connecting members at `the upper and lower portions thereof, the members of one section inter- ,itting between the members of the contiguous section and all the members having coin- A ciding openings, and means removably inserted in the openings of the members and separably connecting the sections.

5. In a device of the class specied, cabinet sections having connecting members with openings therein and also provided with drawers, the members of one section tting between the members of the other section, a movable locking means cooperating with the rear portions of the drawers, and a tie rod removably inserted in the said members of both sections and also connected to the locking means for Operating the latter.

6. In a device of the class specified, cabinet sections having drawers, locking means movably cooperating with the rear portions of the drawers, and a tie rod removably inserted in and separably connecting the sections and also attached to the locking means for operating the latter.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands 1n presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

CHAS. B. VAN DYKE, FRANCIS D. CAMPAU. 

